Arcads vs Elyumfor Grok Imagine 1.5
Keep a 5s Grok Imagine 1.5 take on Elyum for 30 credits ($0.30). Arcads lists Grok Video but does not publish a per-clip price.
Grok Imagine 1.5 is xAI's video model for short, stylised clips, not long photoreal renders. It is the usual pick for 15-second social story beats: text to video, image to video that holds lighting from a still, and reference to video so a face or product can stay put while the action changes. Native audio (effects, ambience, dialogue) generates in the same pass as the picture. xAI made Imagine Video 1.5 generally available in June 2026 and added text-to-video and reference images in July. On Elyum the clip window is 1 to 15 seconds, with three aspect ratios. See the Grok Imagine 1.5 page for the live routes.
The model weights are the vendor's. The platforms are not. On Elyum, 1 credit is $0.01 and a kept Grok Imagine 1.5 second is 6.4 credits, so a kept 5s take is 30 credits ($0.30) and a kept 15s take is 90 credits ($0.90). You preview for free, then keep (pay) or kill (full refund). Arcads lists the model as Grok Video in a shared credit pool. There is no public Arcads pricing page (the /pricing URL 404s as of mid-2026). Third-party guides put Starter at $110/mo and Creator at $220/mo, and a per-clip Grok rate is not published. Failed-generation policy on Arcads is unpublished. Compare that to Elyum pricing, where the keep charge is listed before you start.
Arcads is the better desk if the job is talking-actor UGC ads. It ships 1,000+ AI actors, captions, B-roll, music, and 30+ language localization that Elyum does not have. Elyum has no timeline editor, no stock footage, no avatars of its own, no mobile app, and no team seats. If Grok Imagine 1.5 is the cut you need and you want a published per-second price plus kill-to-refund, Elyum is the cheaper, clearer meter. Read the Arcads alternative if the UGC pipeline is the actual product.
Grok Imagine 1.5 on Arcads
Arcads lists the model as Grok Video on its multi-model roster. The version (1.5) is not explicitly confirmed. The Arcads site does not publish which plan unlocks it, what a Grok clip costs in credits, max resolution, or max duration. There is no free trial. Pricing is only visible after signup; the public /pricing URL 404s as of mid-2026. Third-party guides put Starter at $110/mo (~10 talking-actor videos) and Creator at $220/mo (~20), with talking-actor video at 800 credits per billed minute. Those dollar figures are user-reported, not from an official Arcads price page.
What a bad Grok Video take costs on Arcads is not published. Failed-generation policy, watermark on paid files, and commercial-use terms are unpublished. A Trustpilot reviewer wrote that 39 seconds of content was unusable due to inconsistent character, background and clothing. Those notes cover talking-actor ads more than Grok, but they show why a missing refund rule matters. Third-party guides say credits do not roll over (unconfirmed officially). Arcads' help center states free image generation up to 100/day.
Grok Imagine 1.5 on Elyum
On Elyum, Grok Imagine 1.5 is 6 credits per second. 1 credit equals $0.01. A kept 5s take is 30 credits ($0.30). A kept 15s take is 90 credits ($0.90). Clips run 1 to 15 seconds as text to video, image to video, or reference to video, with three aspect ratios. A listed resolution cap is not on the Elyum model card. Free plan starts with up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them) and no card. Plus is $9/mo, Pro $29/mo, Ultra $69/mo; credits can be topped up. See Elyum models for the rest of the roster next to it.
Every render returns as a free preview (a take). You judge it, then keep the takes you want, that is the only moment credits are charged, or kill the rest for a full automatic refund. Failed generations are never charged. Free-plan kills are one a month; Plus, Pro, and Ultra kill freely. Kept files download clean and full quality, no watermark, commercial use included. Prices already run about 20% under Higgsfield, OpenArt, and Runway anchors. You can also run the same studio from Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor via the MCP server or the REST API.
What a Grok Imagine 1.5 take costs
| Scenario | Arcads | Elyum |
|---|---|---|
| One 5s take you keep | Not published. Listed as Grok Video. Starter ~$110/mo for ~10 talking-actor videos (third-party). | 5 × 6.4 = 30 credits ($0.30) |
| One 15s take you keep | Not published | 15 × 6.4 = 90 credits ($0.90) |
| Ten 5s takes, keep two | Not published. Kill/refund policy unpublished. | 2 × 30 credits = 60 credits ($0.60); 8 kills refund |
| A failed generation | Not published | $0; failed generations are never charged |
| Monthly plan to access the model | No free trial. Starter $110/mo or Creator $220/mo (third-party). Grok unlock unpublished. | Free: up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card. Plus $9/mo, Pro $29/mo, Ultra $69/mo |
| Watermark on the file | Not published | None on kept downloads; commercial use included |
Elyum: 1 credit = $0.01, charged only when you keep a take. Arcads figures from its own pricing pages and independent reviews, verified 2026-09-07; sources at the end. Full rate card on the Grok Imagine 1.5 page.
Where the two differ
Elyum charges 6 credits per second only on kept takes (5s = 30 credits = $0.30; 15s = 90 credits = $0.90). Arcads uses one credit pool across models. Talking-actor video is 800 credits per billed minute on third-party guides. A Grok Video rate and cents-per-credit are not published.
On Elyum a kill refunds in full. Failed generations are never charged. Free plan allows one kill a month; paid plans kill freely. Arcads' failed-generation policy is unpublished. Trustpilot shows 2.7/5 from 170 reviews, citing unusable output and lip-sync issues on talking-actor ads.
Elyum clips run 1 to 15 seconds with three aspect ratios. A separate resolution number is not listed on the Elyum model card. Arcads max clip length and max resolution for Grok Video are unpublished.
Arcads is built for script-to-talking-actor ads: 1,000+ AI actors, captions, B-roll, music, and 30+ language localization. Elyum is one studio for 50+ models. It has no timeline editor, stock footage, avatars of its own, mobile app, team seats, or community feed.
Elyum runs from the web studio and from Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor via the MCP server and a REST API. Arcads API access is unpublished. Arcads has no free trial. Elyum Free is up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card.
Elyum kept takes download with no watermark and commercial use included. Arcads watermark and commercial-use terms are unpublished. Third-party guides report Arcads credits do not roll over month to month; that is not confirmed on an official page.
Pick Arcads when
- You already pay for Arcads talking-actor UGC and want Grok Video in the same credit pool as Seedance, Veo 3.1, and Kling 3.0.
- You need 1,000+ preset AI actors, custom avatars, captions, B-roll, music, and 30+ language localization around the clip.
- Your job is mass-producing talking-actor ad variants for D2C or agencies, not a standalone 15s stylised social beat.
- Arcads' help center states free image generation up to 100 per day, useful if stills feed Grok Video.
Pick Elyum when
- A kept 5s take is 30 credits ($0.30). A kept 15s take is 90 credits ($0.90). Both are listed before you generate.
- Every take previews free. Keep to pay. Kill refunds in full. Failed generations are never charged.
- Free plan is up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card. Plus is $9/mo. Arcads has no free trial; third-party Starter is $110/mo.
- Same credit balance for 50+ models, plus MCP and REST API from Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor.
Grok Imagine 1.5 in three styles, rendered on Elyum
Getting the most out of Grok Imagine 1.5
- Give one camera move and one action. Grok Imagine 1.5 is for short stylised beats. Two dollies and a whip-pan in 5s invite warps. Write 'slow push-in while she turns left,' not a three-setup shot list.
- Put audio in the same prompt. Effects, ambience, and dialogue generate with the picture. Quote spoken lines and say when they land ('the line hits as the cup is set down').
- On image-to-video, name the lighting you want held. The model stays close to the still. 'Keep the window key from camera left, do not relight' reduces restyles.
- Use reference-to-video when a face, product, or place must hold. Attach the stills and describe only the new motion. Do not rewrite the face from scratch in text.
- Pick duration first. A 5s keep ($0.32) wants one gesture. A 15s keep ($0.96) can carry a short walk and a line, not three scenes. Match motion density to the seconds you will keep.
- Name a look, not a compliment. 'Flat comic night, grain, neon bounce' works better than generic cinematic praise. This model is the stylised, quick pick, not a long photoreal render.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Grok Imagine 1.5 video cost on Elyum vs Arcads?
Is Grok Imagine 1.5 the same model on both?
What happens to a bad Grok Imagine 1.5 take?
Do I need a subscription to use Grok Imagine 1.5 on Elyum?
Does Arcads publish Grok Imagine 1.5 limits?
Should I pick Arcads if I make UGC ads?
- Arcads — Create winning ads with AI (homepage) (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Arcads AI pricing in 2026: plans, credits, and the real cost | eesel AI (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Arcads Pricing in 2026: Real Costs, Credits, and What Each Video Actually Costs | Wireflow Blog (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Arcads AI Review 2026: 8 Honest Pros & Cons (Worth $110?) (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Arcads Reviews | Trustpilot (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Everything You Can Do on Arcads — Complete Platform Guide | Arcads Help Center (accessed 2026-09-07)
- AI Video Models Comparison 2026: Seedance, Veo, Sora | opencreator.io (accessed 2026-09-07)
Related comparisons
Create everything. Keep the best.
Grok Imagine 1.5 is a AI video generator you can preview free on Elyum. Keep the takes you love, kill the rest for a full refund.